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Robyn DelMonte of GirlBossTown's Lesser-Known Tips for Monetizing as a Content Creator

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Known as “The Internet’s Agent” to millions on TikTok, Robyn DelMonte of GirlBossTown left her corporate job in 2021 and hasn’t looked back since. The 29-year-old New England native has built her career as a content creator, dishing out no-holds-barred marketing and public relations advice to brands (and stars) on social media that have gone viral. 

While it's widely known that content creators make revenue from sponsored content, DelMonte says they ought to tap into their Internet know-how and lean into consulting. She speaks from personal experience. Her knack for innovative, Gen-Z-driven advice helped DelMonte launch a full-fledged consulting business through which she’s worked with clients including Dunkin’ and Infinity. 

“As a creator, the knowledge that you hold of how to connect and speak with an audience, what is going on on TikTok, and having your finger on the pulse of Internet culture and knowing how to translate that, you can go to brands with that knowledge and monetize that,” says DelMonte on the latest episode of WorkParty. 

In many ways, creating a viral video is like producing a successful ad campaign in and of itself. “You can take that knowledge and monetize that,” she says. “Brands would love to sit and speak with people [who regularly create viral videos.] Not that there’s a formula for going viral, but having that knowledge is so important and your voice needs to be heard with these brands.”

Secondly, DelMonte advises that content creators attend conferences and have the confidence to explore the business side more intimately. “The things you learn and the connections you make at these business conferences will set you up for success,” says DelMonte. “Know that the knowledge you’re gaining through creating is just as valuable as traditional job experience.”

For more expert tips from DelMonte (plus hot takes on how to make your guilty pleasure your biggest money maker), tune into the latest episode of WorkParty with Jaclyn Johnson.

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FORM Founder Sami Clarke's 5 Tips for Standing Out on TikTok

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With more than a billion active users worldwide, TikTok is far more than just a popular app for viral dance routines and comedic clips. The video-sharing platform is also utilized as a strategic marketing tool for businesses to boost success (and nearly five million are using the app for just that). 

Companies often utilize TikTok to increase brand awareness on a rapid scale, build and engage with online communities (i.e. potential customers), promote products or services, develop partnerships, and assess competitors within their respective markets. It’s also a chance to get creative with video clips and establish more connectivity between brands and consumers. 

But with millions of users saturating the TikTok world, how do brands or businesses stand out among the rest? While there may not be a concrete formula for viral success, Sami Clarke—influencer and founder of the digital wellness platform FORM—seems to have it all figured out. 

Together with her business partner and co-founder Sami Bernstein Spalter, the 29-year-old fitness instructor has built a cult following for her motivational workout videos, lifestyle inspo, and self-love approach. Millions of users tune in to her TikTok account for all things wellness, as well as community and connection. This July, the company also launched its new activewear line, the promo for which garnered over 30,000 plays on TikTok.

"All of our teasers have just gone out on socials and the amount of engagement and interaction and excitement behind what we’re doing just shows that we’re not going to need to market outside of just talking to our people," says Bernstein Spalter on the latest episode of WorkParty.

Clarke’s presence on social media has undoubtedly played a role in the success of the brand. Here, she shares five key tips for those looking to stand out on TikTok.

1. Always focus on the content that you want to create. There are so many different people doing workouts, of course, and every space is saturated, but what makes it different is YOU. 

2. Don’t jump on all the trends, but follow the ones that actually do feel exciting and enticing for you. 

3. Think about what content you like to consume. I was very resistant about doing ‘get ready with me’ videos because everyone was doing them, but [those were the kinds of videos I enjoyed] watching. The moment I started doing them within the realm of wellness and talking to camera, my videos were blowing up. 

4. Think about what content your community is craving. You’ll know what people want from you because it’ll get the most attraction.

5. Always stay true to yourself—I know that’s so cliche to say, but it really is so true. 

Tune into WorkParty with Jaclyn Johnson for more on how Sami Clarke and Sami Bernstein Spalter propelled FORM to success in just two years—plus tips on navigating friendship and business partnership.

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‘I Lost My Brand and the Rights to My Name—Here are 6 Tips for Naming a Company After Yourself if You Plan on Going Into Business With Someone Else’

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Lauded designer and entrepreneur Cheval is no stranger to resilience and reinvention. When the former wedding dress designer, previously known as Hayley Paige Gutman, signed an employer agreement with a bridal retailer in 2011, she never thought that nearly a decade later, she would find herself in a legal battle over the rights to her name and trade.

At the age of 25, the Say Yes to the Dress alum was offered a head designer position for a wedding dress collection that would share her personal name. Having been offered her dream job, she signed a long-term contract without legal counsel and granted her former employer the rights to use her name (Hayley Paige) as a trademark for the collection. It wasn’t until years later when she tried to renegotiate the terms of the contract that the legality of it all would come to a head. The negotiations ultimately turned into her former employer suing her in federal court over ownership rights—and they won. 

“I lost the rights to my name in any business or commerce or even to publicly identify, as well as my right to work in my chosen trade for a five-year period,” says Cheval on the latest episode of WorkParty. She also lost the rights to her social media account, which had over one million followers. “I’ve really had to reassess and come up with a new perspective on life and identity and who I am through all of this.” 

Since then, the designer has legally changed her name and embarked on a journey to rebuild. In 2022, she launched She Is Cheval, a women’s shoe brand incorporating whimsy and ultra-femme details for which she is long beloved. She also founded A Girl Who You Might Know Foundation, which provides resources and legal support for young designers, creatives, and entrepreneurs navigating the contracting process to help them learn their rights under the law. 

Contrary to what you may expect, Cheval still supports the idea of using your own name in your company's branding. “So much of branding is about identity and that is how you can separate yourself from very diluted industries,” she says, “but it’s important to know how to protect yourself.” 

Here, the designer maps out six important tips for negotiating contracts for those looking to name a business after themselves (and also bring on other partners or investors).

1. If you have the means, hire a lawyer to review all contracts

They have the knowledge and expertise to interpret the terms of an agreement and understand the implications of these terms down the line. 

2. Know how to protect yourself and how to position it so that everyone can win

A business is a business at the end of the day and it’s important to make sure your needs are met. Come prepared with data/backup to support the value of your terms. Know what your hardline is in advance, what you could compromise on, and how you will respond if your non-negotiables aren’t met. For additional resources on how to protect yourself, visit Cheval's foundation here.

3. Whatever is being said technically means nothing—it should be in a contract

Everything should be in writing. Don’t assume that anything that’s agreed on verbally or seems mutually understood is legally going to stand up in court.

4. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and have tough conversations up front

The negotiation period is the time to be transparent with any concerns and lay everything out on the table. If you wait until later, there will be no obligation to ensure your needs are met. 

5. Learn how you fight and negotiate early on, whether it’s in business or relationships

Know your strengths, address areas of improvement, and figure out how you’re going to respond in different scenarios before going into negotiations.

6. If you have a gut feeling that something is wrong, it’s okay to walk away

Think about how many potential opportunities there could be out there with other partners who wouldn’t make you feel uneasy. Combat the notion that if you don’t take the deal, you’ll never have another opportunity. Listen to your intuition.

Tune into the latest episode of WorkParty with Jaclyn Johnson for more on prevailing through tough career moments, important negotiation tactics, and candid conversations on rebuilding your identity both professionally and personally.

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Entrepreneur Francis Tesmer on How Soft Skills Boost Success in the Beauty Industry

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With over 25 years of global business under her belt, powerhouse entrepreneur Francis Tesmer attests that a successful career is not just measured by technical expertise, but also the strength of one’s soft skills. These attributes are defined as non-technical skills, such as communication or collaboration, that promotes harmonious and effective interaction. As the founder and CEO of LEAD Rolfs Global Institute, the first-ever college and university degree for beauty professionals, Tesmer is on a mission to provide the tools and resources for students to learn just that—and so much more.  

Eighty five percent of career success comes from having well-developed soft skills and people skills, according to research from Harvard University, the Carnegie Foundation, and Stanford Research Center. The report also found that hard skills, including technical skills and knowledge, only make up 15 percent of career success.

What’s more, 92  percent of talent professionals and hiring managers say that soft skills, like communication, creativity, collaboration, adaptability, problem-solving, and empathy, are just as important—or more important—than hard skills, according to LinkedIn’s 2019 Global Talent Trends report. 

These are just a few of the pivotal qualities that can propel your career and set you apart from other candidates, and nowhere are soft skills more pertinent than in today’s beauty industry, whether you’re interacting with clients or leading a team to success. 

“This is an era of collaboration,” says Tesmer on the latest episode of WorkParty, emphasizing the importance of communication with clients and within the community. She also highlights the role of innovation, creativity, and education to develop everything from new products to experiences, and interactions.

“Education is the gap,” says Tesmer, whose accelerated program is giving students and working beauty professionals the opportunity to expand their career options and seek high-level roles. “That has been the whole focus of LEAD, to create that education so that many individuals in this space can fill those executive positions and make a difference, not just for themself, but for their company, for their community, for their society, and for the world.” 

Tune into the latest episode of WorkParty with Jaclyn Johnson to learn how to take your beauty career from trade to profession and stay at the forefront of technology, sustainability, product ingredients, and more in the ever-evolving $500 billion dollar beauty industry. 

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Your Answers to These 6 Questions Say More About Your Financial Stability Than Your Bank Account

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The big house with a yard, luxury cars parked out front, six-figure bank accounts, and the ability to get what you want when you want it—together, it paints a picture that is often associated with financial stability, but is this really the case? For former JP Morgan trader Vivian Tu, the true meaning goes far beyond your pocket book and material wealth.

As of January 2023, sixty percent of United States adults, including more than four in 10 high-income consumers, live paycheck to paycheck, according to a report from LendingClub Corporation, a financial services company.

“Financially stable doesn’t mean rich, and I think that’s what people get confused a lot,” says Tu on the latest episode of WorkParty. The 29-year-old content creator, otherwise known as “your favorite finance girly,” launched her Instagram page, Your Rich BFF, in 2021 and has since amassed a dedicated following of over three million who tune in for pared-down advice on everything from investing in 401Ks to budgeting for your wedding. 

Instead, she defines the term based on one’s ability to answer yes the following questions: 

1. Are you making enough money to cover your budget?

2. Are you making responsible choices?

3. Are you setting money aside for savings?

4. Are you making decisions to invest now or invest in the future when you are able to?

5. Do you have a plan?

6. Are there things you want to do with your money to get you from point A to happily ever after?

“You can be a multimillionaire, but if you’re blowing through the money you’re making faster than you’re making it—and you don’t have a plan of how ‘today me’ is going to take care of ‘future me’—then you’re still not financially stable, even if you are making millions of dollars every year,” says Tu, while pointing to past stories of famed pro athletes and entrepreneurs who ended up going broke. 

One of the best ways to ensure the stability of your cash flow is to prioritize financial planning, she says. “Talking about financial stability, talking about your financial future, and making that plan is not something you can do and then set it and forget it,” says Tu. “It’s very much something that needs to happen every single year, every single two years, and at a very minimum, every three to five years because things change so much.”

Change is something she knows intimately, having gone from working as a trader on Wall Street to a strategy sales partner at Buzzfeed, and, ultimately, quitting that job to become a full-time content creator. 

Tune into the latest episode of WorkParty with Jaclyn Johnson where Tu gets candid about the financial do’s and don’ts of dating, plus hot tips on going to college and weighing your return on investment.

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Mara Founder Allison McNamara on Must-Have Digital Tools for Day-to-Day Business Operations

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After nearly a decade of TV hosting with stints on The Today Show, the Oscars red carpet for ABC, and the entertainment show Popsugar Now, Los Angeles-based Allison McNamara knows how to tell a story. Her experience informs the content behind her lauded skin-care brand, Mara, launched in 2018. But when it came to the intricacies of running a business, she admits there was much to learn. To fill in those gaps and optimize her business operations, she turned to digital tools and resources. 

The financial arm of her business runs through NetSuite, an integrated, cloud-based business software that offers enterprise resource planning (ERP) applications (a software system that helps automate and manage day-to-day business operations) such as financial management, accounting, inventory management, and procurement. Eighty-four percent of companies in the Forbes Cloud 100 List are NetSuite customers, according to the platform.

“We’ve really streamlined our accounting,” says McNamara on the latest episode of WorkParty. “NetSuite is our cloud-based paper trail. I really use that as the holy grail of our business.” 

She even hired a coach and spent over 100 hours educating herself on the platform. “You have to be open to learning…like basic accounting books or taking the time to listen to a podcast— something that you wouldn’t normally listen to that is kind of an expert in that field,” says McNamara, who bootstrapped her brand of algae-infused products. (The line is now sold at Sephora and received the celebrity stamp of approval from the likes of Chrissy Teigen, Hailey Beiber, and Olivia Munn.) 

As for internal communication, her company uses Slack, an instant messaging program designed to streamline comms and promote team collaboration in an organized, fast, and secure way. Nearly 80 percent of Fortune 100 companies rely on Slack to build their digital HQ, according to the platform. 

“I’m a big quick communicator, so I prefer Slack like texts,” she says. “Get it to me as fast as possible, but just don’t call me, "she adds while laughing.

Even though McNamara is busy running the business, she’s still very much involved in content. “My biggest strengths come from training in media because I’m really good at telling stories quickly,” she says. “I still do all of our copywriting because I enjoy it.”

For all things content, she relies on Google’s G Suite. "That's how we worked when I was an editor," she says. "We made our [Google] Calendars and [Google] Sheets. I work religiously in Docs." 

Over six million companies pay to use G Suite, according to 2020 reports (latest count), up from five million in 2019. The productivity software includes a digital calendar, cloud spreadsheets, presentations, cloud storage for documents, and a video conferencing feature. 

“There’s a tool for everything,” says McNamara.

For more on how she bootstrapped her business and made it to Sephora, as well as candid conversations on her best and worst days as an entrepreneur, tune into the latest episode of WorkParty with Jaclyn Johnson.

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Tinx On Embracing the Unknown and Navigating Career Paths in Your Twenties

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Before Christina Najjar, known to her 1.5 million TikTok followers and nearly 550,000-strong Instagram community as “Tinx,” became the creator and influencer she is today, she was a twenty-something-year-old Stanford grad dealing with uncertainty and dissatisfaction in her career.

“I was so lost [in my twenties],” shares Najjar on the latest episode of WorkParty. Now 32, the social media star, podcast host of It’s Me, Tinx, and author of her newly released book, The Shift: Change Your Perspective, Not Yourself, describes the often glamorized decade as a time of self-doubt with high highs and low lows. “It was very scatterbrained, very spiral-y,” she says. “It was a far cry from what I thought my twenties were going to be.”

After graduating from college, Najjar went on to work in retail management for Gap Inc. for three years at the company’s headquarters in San Francisco. “I always thought I wanted to be in retail or fashion, and it was really difficult for me,” she says. “I had a hard time; I wasn't good at my job; I felt stressed all the time. I was just so confused because I had put all my hopes on this career and then it was not what I thought it was.”

Najjar then began working for Poshmark, a social marketplace to sell new and secondhand fashion, but encountered the same lack of fulfillment and purpose in her career. “I didn't feel like I was doing a good job,” she confesses. Her frankness and refreshing openness on the topic is exactly what brought her notoriety and a loyal following on social media.

“I learned a lot in both [roles],” she says. “That's the thing: Even if you're not in a job you love, you can always take something and learn from it." Eventually, Najjar pivoted and went on to pursue a master’s in fashion journalism at Parsons in New York City; after which she began freelance writing.

Then, during the pandemic, like many, she found herself unemployed, which is when she decided to download TikTok for the first time under the name “Tinx.” Creating content and building an online community gave her the fulfillment she had been yearning for. Her candid conversation and advice on everything from mental health to relationships (plus comical skits and bits on rich moms) earned her the title of “TikTok’s older sister.” 

Though her previous jobs felt like misdirections at the time, she says that her early work experiences informed the incredibly successful career she has today—Najjar reportedly earned $11 million in 2022 alone. It's a lesson that she believes could be true for anyone navigating their careers and looking to take that next step.

Tune into the latest episode of WorkParty with Jaclyn Johnson where Tinx dives into dating and relationships, why your twenties aren’t all it’s marketed to be, and why everyone needs to “double down” on friendships.

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How a Business Therapist Helped the Founders of Clearstem Scale Their Company

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Many have sought therapy outside of the office, but have you ever thought about bringing a therapist into the workplace? When you consider the nuances of starting a business, from managing finances to finalizing product formulas, creating marketing strategies, and supervising a team (no matter how big or small), the concept of bringing a third party onboard to help employees meet personal and team goals and offer guidance on how to enhance individual work styles may not seem far-fetched. 

Communication happens at every stage of running a business, and how you effectively communicate through the ups and downs of operating a business can impact the overall success of your company, as well as the mental health of employees. Forty-two percent of people have suffered from burnout, stress and fatigue as a result of communication issues in their business, according to a recent survey from Project Co., a project management software company. 

For Clearstem founders Kayleigh Christina and Danielle Gronich, bringing in a therapist was paramount, especially during the early stages of bootstrapping and scaling their non-toxic skin-care company—lauded for its revolutionary line of stem cell products combating acne, scarring, and aging.

“When [Kayleigh] moved to LA [from San Diego], we were at a point in the company where things were starting to get really real,” says Gronich, on the latest episode of WorkParty. “The checks we were writing were a lot bigger, the decisions we were making were a lot more consequential, and we didn’t have a lot of the foundational understanding of how each other communicates to bridge the gap with the distance and the added pressure.” 

To help facilitate effective communication through the stresses and tribulations of scaling a business, the pair brought on a therapist and executive coach to walk them through their core values exercises, three-year plan, and “all the other things you do when you are serious about the trajectory of your company,” says Gronich. 

Now on retainer for three years and counting, the therapist even helps their team if there’s anything they need to “clean up,” such as if a conversation didn’t go smoothly or if an employee didn’t quite understand something during a review. “We have him there to neutralize and elevate all conversations and discrepancies when they arise,” says Gronich.  

Christina also points out that a lot of founders aren’t trained in leadership and management before starting a business. “Both of us didn’t come from some senior level management position where we’re running another company and then come over,” she says. “We’re figuring this out for the first time.” Learning how to make employees feel supported and appreciated, but also challenged and accountable, has pushed the duo to learn a different style of communication.

“Our team is growing beautifully—they get along and the communication is great,” says Christina. “When there’s little bumps, our team knows how to handle it, and they know they have the resources and support to handle it at the same time. We really get to go through all the struggles together, and even better, celebrate all the wins.”

Tune into WorkParty to learn more about how Christina and Gronich bootstrapped their business, why they lead an education-first model with consumers, and how they grew a strong online community as a consumer packaged goods (CPG) brand.

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Tiffany Yu on How Disability Accessibility Can Boost Business Success

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After a traumatic car accident at age nine that left her with nerve damage, which limits the use of her right arm, Tiffany Yu has been on a fervent mission to change the conversation around disability, including in the world of business. It’s why she founded her company Diversability, which is led entirely by people with disabilities.

Originally conceived as a student club at her alma mater, Georgetown University, Diversability has evolved into an award-winning social enterprise with a network of over 80,000 people. The company aims to elevate disability pride through community, visibility, and allyship. 

“I couldn’t find a place where I fit, so I created it,” shares Yu on the latest episode of WorkParty. Prior to starting her own company, Yu worked for Goldman Sachs, Bloomberg, and Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Revolt Media and TV. “My whole life up until now has just been open to opportunity,” she adds.

Much of Yu’s advocacy includes promoting the power of inclusion and disability accessibility in business. “There’s so much disabled talent out there,” she says, while also pointing to the massive consumer base that companies ought to tap into. The most recent data shows that up to 1 in 4 adults in the U.S. have some type of disability, according to the CDC. That equates to 27 percent of adults in the nation—all with unique perspectives, talents, and purchasing power who have the potential to drive substantial business growth. 

“We are your consumers,” says Yu. “We have money, but who also has money? Our friends and family. If we love your brand, we’re going to go out and evangelize your brand as well and then that’s going to have that trickle out effect.”

The proof is in the numbers: Companies that prioritize disability inclusion and accessibility achieve on average 28 percent higher revenue, double the net income, and 30 percent higher profit margins, according to a report by the global professional services company Accenture. 

When asked how companies can start thinking about disability accessibility, Yu notes that it starts with giving people with disabilities seats at the table and having the right people in the room. “When you hire disabled people into your company, we can help you think of innovative ideas or things you haven’t thought about before that can open up your brand or whatever you’re building to new audiences,” says Yu. If you aren’t in a position to be able to hire, Yu suggests bringing in a focus group, especially for direct-to-consumer companies. 

Tune into Tiffany Yu’s episode of WorkParty where host Jaclyn Johnson learns more about her journey through adversity, building a community based business, and empowering others in the disabled community today.

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Julie Bowen on Creating a Brand That Attracts Both Moms and Teens

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When actress Julie Bowen started chatting with former Condé Nast exec and fellow mom Jill Biren three years ago, the pair bonded over a comical, yet relatable truth: Their tween boys were starting to stink. Bowen—otherwise known as everyone’s favorite TV mom who plays Claire Dunphy on 11 seasons of Modern Family for which she scored two Emmy Awards—found that her twin boys, now 14, and eldest son,16, were using various body care products, yet “coming out of the bathroom dirtier than when they went in,” she shares on the latest episode of WorkParty. 

For Bowen, the lack of products on the market for her boys that focus on natural ingredients, while offering a light, fresh fragrance, felt like a white space. She points to the overwhelming scent of napalm and unfavorable chemical ingredients that comprise some popular men’s care products today (which she chooses not to name), and cheekily adds that they “basically promise sex and money” in their marketing campaigns. To fill this hole in the market, Bowen and Biren decided to create a product line of their own.

Today, the concept has evolved into JB Skrub (aptly named for the founders’ initials), a vegan, cruelty-free body wash and skin-care brand for pre-teens and teens. Launched in January 2023 without any outside investors, the company offers a range of body spray, body wash, moisturizer, face wash, and facial toner pads. For the founders, creating the right product was only half the battle; the second biggest focus was ideating a dual marketing strategy that could attract both moms (“the ones with the wallets,” she says) and the kids who are the target consumers.

“[For moms], we wanted to make sure the products were clean and botanical, and dermatologist and pediatrician approved. We wanted the kids to see the bottle and say, ‘That’s cool. I want that,’” says Bowen. The result is fun, vibrant packaging that certainly stands out on the shelves in bright orange, blue, green, and yellow. (It’s also sustainably focused and made from post-consumer recycled plastic.) Even the text catches one’s attention with Bowen’s homegrown motto that reads: “Pits, Nuts, and Butts”—a candid reminder she would give her own sons before taking a shower. The informative humor speaks to both teens and moms.

Of course, having the backing of a big-name Hollywood star brings brand recognition in and of itself, and certainly helps in creating a customer base on social media (Bowen currently has 1.7 million Instagram followers). On the advice of her unofficial focus group—her sons—the brand has also turned to TikTok to attract Gen Z. TikTok has established itself among one of the top online platforms for U.S. teens, ages 13 to 17, according to a recent report from Pew Research Center.

“Through trial and error, we discovered that kids don’t like something that feels really expensive or that’s trying to sell them something. They want something that feels really organic—like me standing there with a sign talking to Harry Styles will get 10 million views, and that was just for funsies. Luckily, for marketing, there is trial and error. We see what hits,” says Bowen.

Tune into Bowen’s episode of WorkParty for more intel on the trials and errors of product creation and marketing, building community and engagement on social media, and future plans for the brand. (Hint: They have Target and Sephora in mind.)

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The Winning Formula for Delivering Constructive Feedback to Your Team

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The fear of damaging relationships with team members or negatively impacting internal dynamics can make it difficult to provide feedback, especially when it involves addressing areas of improvement. However, avoiding constructive criticism altogether can be detrimental to both the individual and the team's growth and development.

In actuality, increased communication can boost retention rates and contribute to a high-performing team. Jessica Kriegal, chief scientist of workplace culture for Culture Partners, emphasizes the critical role of feedback in building a strong team, not just in terms of tactical performance, but also in fostering a positive workplace environment.

Kriegal, who leads research and strategy in best practices for driving results through culture, applies data-driven insights to dismantle the potential chaos of poor morale, low performance, and missed financial goals. According to her studies, the key to delivering effective feedback lies in connecting the dots between the employee's actions, the organization's culture, and its key results.

On a recent episode of WorkParty, Kriegal shared a format for delivering constructive feedback that not only helps employees improve, but reinforces the organization's values and mission:

Action + Cultural Belief + Key Result = Effective Feedback

Instead of simply saying "good job," or "this didn't work" leaders should provide specific feedback that connects the employee's action with their company's cultural belief. This helps the employee understand the context and purpose behind their actions and reinforces the organization's values and mission. This could look like:

You did a great job on that project (action), which is an example of our cultural belief in teamwork (cultural belief), something we want to nurture. As a result of your contribution, we were able to exceed our quarterly revenue goals (key result).

"[It's] connecting dots for employees, and they're able to lean into that action more," Kriegel says. Further, this tactic organically reinforces the organization's values and mission, which can help create a stronger, more cohesive culture.

But how do you know when to give feedback, and how often should you do it? Kriegal says the answer depends on the type of issue you're dealing with. For example, if it's a culture fit issue, it's important as a hiring manager to begin giving feedback early on in the employee's tenure to ensure that they understand and align with the organization's values. If it's a job skill issue, you may need to provide ongoing feedback and coaching to help the employee develop the necessary skills.

Learn more about the best practices that can transform workplace culture by tuning into Kriegal's episode of WorkParty.

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7 Business Strategies From This Year's Create Cultivate 100 Honorees That’ll Help Set You Apart

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The path to success is never linear, and this is especially true for women and femmes in business. Despite the challenges they’ve faced, those honored on this year's Create Cultivate 100 list have achieved remarkable success due to the unique strategies they applied to their business practices.

Ahead, we share some of these approaches that set them apart from the rest and how they apply to entrepreneurs at every stage.

1. Prepare to pivot

Beauty nominee, Amy Liu worked at Smashbox, Kate Somerville, and Josie Maran Cosmetics before striking out on her own to start the award-winning makeup brand Tower 28, which she launched at age 40. Even though it took her 18 years to finally say yes to becoming an entrepreneur—she’d thought about it since she was 28—Liu says she never counted herself (or a career change) out. "Part of manifestation," she says, "is just putting your dream out there."

2. Build intentional partnerships

Climate honoree and sustainability activist Jhánneu Roberts is an expert at this. Roberts partners with like-minded brands, like Bank of the West and Grove Collaborative, that further empower her community to live a sustainable life. When sharing advice for up and coming activists and sustainability creators she says, “It’s not just about reducing waste, it’s also about sustaining yourself.” Later this year, Jhánneu plans to launch a course focused on teaching other creators how to work with brands so that they can continue to build their own businesses, sustainably.

3. Follow your intuition

Content Creator honoree Achieng Agutu, also known as the Tantalizing Confidence Queen, has built an incredible community founded on fearlessness. When it comes to making important decisions, she encourages her followers to look within. "When something is for you, it should feel effortless and there should be no overthinking," she says. “If I don't feel a sense of freedom, a sense of happiness, if the energy is not reciprocated, if there is no sense of I see you and I want the best for you then I am out."

4. See every opportunity as a learning opportunity

Pinky Cole, Food and Beverage honoree and founder of Slutty Vegan, a plant-based burger chai based n in Atlanta valued at $100 million, has 20 new locations set to open after a successful Series A funding round. She acknowledges that expanding requires acknowledging what you don't know, being willing to learn, and not getting comfortable with what you do know. Second only to that, she says, is learning that you will lose people who are valuable to you and the business. But, the most important part is having the emotional maturity to move forward without letting it get in the way of your success. 

5. Use representation to tap potential

Finance honoree Simran Kaur, founder of Girls That Invest, aims to make investing more inclusive, starting from an early age. “You cannot become what you cannot see, she says. "More women talking about money or investing is going to encourage more women to come into the door. It feels less intimidating when you know people who look like you and can break down the jargon in ways you understand—without being patronizing. It's about using language and a female-lens that makes it just a wee bit more fun and engaging.”

6. Nurture your interests

Arts and Culture honoree and founder of Utendahl Creative, Madison Utendahl, has been on the founding teams of cultural phenomenons like Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Refinery 29's 29Rooms and the Museum of Ice Cream. She believes in letting what you love lead you to your true north. “The journey to happiness is lifelong and well worth it,” she says. “I hope all women, especially those in creative spaces, know that they are worth their wildest dreams.”

7. Never stop testing new ideas

As the founder of Poppi, Food and Beverage honoree Allison Ellsworth wants to inspire others to bring out their inner disruptive entrepreneur—and not be afraid to try new things. Case in point: Ellsworth's first foray into TikTok a personal story about why she started her brand after not being able to find gut-friendly beverages, garnered 50 million views and $100K sales. This led to Poppi being the number-one searched beverage on Amazon, free endorsements from celebrity fans like Kendall Jenner and Drew Barrymore, and being named BevNet’s Marketing Campaign of the year. All of which taught Ellsworth a valuable lesson: Never let the fear of trying something new decide your future.

Tune in to this week'e episode of WorkParty where Jaclyn Johnson looks to these inspiring founders to answer some of your most-asked questions about owning and running a business.

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Hesitant to Bootstrap? Here's One Founder-Approved Strategy to Make It Happen

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Jordan Harper, CEO of Barefaced, launched her clinical-grade skin-care brand with no business background, no investors, and no savings to fall back on. However as a nurse practitioner with nearly a decade of experience in aesthetic medicine, Harper had a solid understanding of the products she wanted to create, and a strong demand from her audience.

With a strategic pre-launch plan and determination to fill a gap in the skin-care market, Harper brought her product line to life without any support from outside investors or accruing personal debt.

Bootstrapping, a business funding approach for entrepreneurs who don't want to rely on external sources of capital, is the option most small businesses (aka companies with fewer than 500 employees, which is 99.9 percent of all businesses in the U.S.) use to establish their companies. According to a recent survey of startups, 78 percent of small business owners self-funded their launches.

To pay for product manufacturing deposits, Harper took out several zero-percent-interest credit cards This may seem like a risky move, but it allowed her to maintain complete control over the business, without pressure to quickly scale and generate massive returns for investors.

Once production was in motion, Harper relied on the power of pre-orders to keep the business in motion. Thanks to her loyal Instagram following and patients' feedback, she was right about the strong demand for products. Pre-orders raised enough funds to match her manufacturing costs, and paid for even more goods to go into production. Harper ended up offering four rounds of pre-orders, which she reinvested into growth strategies for the business.

On a recent episode of WorkParty, Harper backed her approach as a simple and achievable tactic for any new business owner. The key is to have a solid understanding of your products, build a strong audience base, and educate.

Tune into Jordan Harper's episode of WorkParty where Jaclyn Johnson learns more about her career transition from nurse practitioner to entrepreneur, Barefaced’s unique take on customer engagement, and tactics for maximizing efficiency.

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How To Find a Niche in a Crowded Market With Dr. Roshini Raj, Founder of TULA Skincare

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In a world where there seems to be a new skin-care brand launching every week (there are approximately 4,200 cosmetic and beauty companies in the U.S. alone), it can be difficult to stand out. Yet, by following her gut, literally, Roshini Raj, MD, founder of TULA Skincare, managed to break through.

Before beginning TULA, Dr. Raj started her career as a gastroenterologist, a physician dedicated to the digestive system, and it was her passion for probiotics and the microbiome that led her to explore the connection between gut and skin health. While studying the evolution of research in her field, Dr. Raj noticed that her patients who were taking probiotics not only found improvements in their digestion, but also in their skin.

At the time she launched TULA in 2014 with formulas that utilized probiotics to help balance the skin's microbiome and promote a healthy skin barrier using, no one was talking about the connection between gut health and the skin, and research was limited. So Dr. Raj felt she’d found a niche within her wheelhouse that would allow her to align her expertise with potential whitespace. And her bet paid off big time because the global probiotics market, valued at $50.6B in 2020, is now expected to grow at a rate of 7.9 percent from 2021 to 2028.

So how can others find a niche in a crowded market like skin care? On the most recent episode of WorkParty, Dr. Raj advises taking a step back and examining what sets you apart.

"You have to really think about what you want to bring to the table that's different,” she says. “What are you uniquely qualified to do? For me, it was my medical background and my passion for probiotics and the microbiome.”

Dr. Raj also emphasizes the importance of understanding your target market. "You have to know your audience,” she says. “What do they want? What are they missing? What are they looking for that they can't find? That's really how you can start to carve out a niche."

Tune in to this week's episode of WorkParty to learn more about Dr. Raj's probiotic product formulation process, TULA's mission to inspire confidence, and the ways in which gut health impacts our overall well-being. 

There Are 4 Money Personalities—Here’s What Yours Says About You

Money is a complex and emotional topic that can raise a whole slew of feelings—happiness, stress, guilt, joy—especially for entrepreneurs who continuously navigate financial decisions. But more often than not, these feelings about money rarely have anything to do with your current circumstances. Chances are, they stem from childhood and the relationship you witnessed your primary caregivers have with money.

On this week’s episode of WorkParty, Jacqueline ‘Jack’ Howard, Senior Director of Financial Health & Wellness at Ally Financial, joined Jaclyn to explain how our past experiences inform our money story, a story that’s been written, whether we realize it or not, and affects our financial beliefs and behaviors as we get older.

According to Howard, the first step to uncovering your money story is understanding that people aren’t inherently good or bad with money. Instead, she poses the question: What happened to make you feel this way about money? “[It’s] so much bigger than a credit score or even a budget,” she says. “Ask yourself, why are you spending money? Why are you not spending money? When you start to unpack those issues, you really begin to understand the whys.” 

The next step is creating a timeline of influential financial moments. List out milestones you’ve had with money in chronological order. From there, identify emotions that connect to each moment, then write down the messages that are reflected in these events.

Did the adults in your life avoid openly discussing money? Did your family practice extreme frugality? Perhaps a life event led to struggles with finances. Howard shared that her timeline includes happy memories of going to the credit union to pull out spending money with her mom and brother, getting a job in high school to support her family after the passing of her mom, and later, surviving breast cancer.  These events have influenced Howard to spend more money on experiences, because we only get to live one life.

Next, identify your money personality. Each personality has its own set of challenges when it comes to managing money:

  • Money Worship is when someone has the belief that money, or the things that money can buy, can solve their problems. 


  • Money Avoidance is seen when a person believes money is inherently bad and the desire for wealth is negative. Avoidance also includes those who feel overwhelmed or anxious about their finances, and as a result, ignore them. 


  • Money Status includes those who believe their self-worth is tied to their net worth. 


  • Money Vigilance consists of those who worry excessively about money. They may be hesitant to spend, even on necessary items, for fear of running out of money or falling into debt.


Coupling your money story with your money personality, creates a tool that can be used to help identify what drives you to achieve your goals. As a self-identified Money Worshipper, Howard has found success in automating financial responsibilities, so she knows exactly how much is available to invest in expenses that would otherwise make her feel guilty. (Like a new pair of sunglasses to go with her new haircut).

The way Howard sees it, once you've connected the dots, it becomes easier and easier to develop guardrails that allow for more flexibility around spending. “When you take financial trauma, money psychology, and a person’s money personality into account, it shifts the conversation from one of shame for being bad with money to a feeling of empowerment because you understand the root cause," she says.

Tune into this week's episode of WorkParty to learn more about taking charge of your money journey.

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Amy Liu Shares Her Playbook for Using What You Learn as an Employee To Become an Entrepreneur

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Even though Amy Liu was co-president of the Entrepreneurship Venture Management Association in business school, she wasn't totally convinced her post-grad career plans would include adding "founder" to her CV. "I've had a really linear path," says Liu. "I went to business school, I worked in the beauty industry, and I worked my way up. I just kept telling myself I'm going to learn on someone else's dime, and I'm going to get really good."

And that she did. Liu's time as a marketing executive for beauty brands like Smashbox and Kate Somerville built up the knowledge and experience she needed to finally launch her own beloved makeup brand, Tower 28, and helped make the learning curve of going from an employee to an entrepreneur less steep for her.

Having always felt that founders were typically authorities in their field—professional makeup artists or skincare experts, Liu initially didn’t believe she belonged in the same cohort of women who were building disruptive beauty brands, seemingly singlehandedly, because her experience was in working for others. Not to mention, she had kids and a mortgage to think about, which made the decision to start a business even scarier.

But after a meeting with a friend from business school 15 years into her career, Liu finally was convinced that her experience in the corporate world would be instrumental in preparing her for entrepreneurship. "I gained a lot of skills in terms of understanding what it's like to be an employee," she said on this week's episode of WorkParty. This epiphany led to a core lesson in Liu's playbook: Never underestimate the power of experience—no matter the industry.

Liu suggests taking stock of your background and identifying transferable skills that will be valuable in your new venture. If you work in marketing, you likely have know-how in branding, advertising, and customer acquisition. As an employee you likely built up a network of contacts in your industry. These contacts can be valuable resources when starting your own business. (Liu's co-president from the aforementioned Entrepreneurship Venture Management Association was Tower 28's very first investor!)

Liu also emphasizes the importance of being adaptable and willing to learn. As an employee, you likely had a set of defined responsibilities and tasks. As an entrepreneur, you will need to be comfortable with uncertainty and change, try new approaches, and pivot when necessary. In fact, the most successful entrepreneurs tend to be middle-aged, according to a study of 2.7 million startups.

On this week's episode of WorkParty, Liu, who's also an honoree on this year's Create Cultivate 100 List, joins Jaclyn to share everything from her favorite hiring tips to what she learned while formulating Tower 28’s first product. Plus, we get into the business details like her tech stack, scheduling strategies, and go-to personal development tools. 

RESOURCES

OTHER EPISODES YOU MAY LIKE . . .

Mailbag: Entrepreneur Hot Takes With Jaclyn Johnson

How To Craft a Profitable Pitch With Paulana Lamonier, Founder of Black People Will Swim

What Comes After Hustle Culture With Sinikiwe Dhliwayp, Founder of Naaya

The 5-Word Prompt That Will Help You Launch a Business

Closing the Pregnancy Skin-Care Gap With Mary Lawless Lee

Paulana Lamonier Is Making It Her Business To Ensure Black People Learn To Swim

As many entrepreneurs will tell you, often the best business ideas come from trying to solve problems for yourself or your community, as was the case for entrepreneur Paulana Lamonier, founder of Black People Will Swim, an organization based in Brooklyn that provides community swim lessons during the summer.

While the company offers swim lessons to everyone, its call to action is to help people of color learn to swim because Black people are 1.5 times more likely (and Indigenous people are twice as likely) to die from drowning as white people, per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).  And, as Black People Will Swim notes on its website, 64 percent of Black children have no or low swimming abilities, according to reports from the USA Swimming Foundation.

“Black and Brown people are drowning and dying, so swimming is a life skill,” says Lamonier, who won the Create & Cultivate pitch competition in Dallas last year. “If only a certain group of people have access to a life skill, where does that leave everyone else?”  

The beginnings of Black People Will Swim

Initially, Lamonier didn’t set out to start a company—the idea for Black People Will Swim began as a challenge in 2019, she says. Her goal was to teach 30 people how to swim. But after one of the participants told her that Black people can’t swim because their bones are too dense, she realized that people didn’t just need access to instruction, they needed information as well. 

“We created four pillars to make sure that anything and everything we do aligns with our core mission,” Lamonier says. “Essentially, we are encouraging our community to face their fears.” Aptly, these four pillars form the acronym FACE: fun, awareness, community, and education.

“We want to make sure that people are having fun, that we’re building awareness around the statistics, that we’re creating community, and that we’re educating people on how swimming is a life skill,” Lamonier says. “It’s not a matter of whether we, as Black people, can or can’t swim—it’s more like we will swim.”

So far, Lamonier’s helped 200 people of all backgrounds and ages learn to swim, but she believes that’s just the beginning. 

How Lamonier plans to next-level her business

At the top of Lamonier’s to-do list is building out her team. “This year, I aim to onboard a few more people,” she says. “I’m hiring an aquatics director, which is hard to do because this is everyone’s side hustle. We’re a seasonal business.” (Read: If you, or anyone you know, fits the description, contact Black People Will Swim.)

“We’re also looking for a place to call home,” Lamonier says. “Grants like Create & Cultivate’s really help us with funding so that we can find a pool and not scramble for rent. We’ll pay for rent upfront and pocket the profits from our classes.” 

Within the next three years, Lamonier’s biggest hope is to establish partnerships, particularly with Black celebrities who swim and share their love of swimming online because seeing someone who looks like you doing something you always thought you couldn’t do is quite inspiring.

“I would love to partner with Kevin Hart because he grew up swimming,” she says. The actor and stand-up comic told the Golf Channel that swimming shaped his life.

In the not-so-distant future, Lamonier would also like to launch a swimwear line that solves another of her problems: Being able to find a suit that falls somewhere between leisure and competitive styles. 

Lamonier’s tips for making an impact as an entrepreneur

1. Figure out what your ideal business would look like

Lamonier believes that before you can actually start making an impact, you have to make the vision plain. “Literally write it out, and understand the roadmap,” she says. 

Ask yourself what your mission is and how you’re going to get there. Part of doing this, Lamonier adds, is figuring out what you’re naturally good at. “What do a lot of people come to you for? For me, it was always swimming,” she says. (Lamonier learned to swim in 2009, and spent 10 years teaching lessons for swim clubs, teams, and gyms before founding Black People Will Swim.)


2. Tailor your team to your weaknesses

Once you know where you’re going and what it’ll take to get there, it’s time to figure out who will help you stay the course. Lamonier has a great hack for building a well-rounded team: “Get familiar with your strengths and weaknesses because you want to hire to your weaknesses,” she says. “Like, if you’re forgetful, get an assistant.” After all, you can’t get to where you want to go if you spend most of your time catching up with emails.  

3. Remember your why

“We are in the business of saving lives,” Lamonier says. “We taught 200 people how to swim this summer—and that’s 200 lives we just saved by teaching this life skill.” That’s an opportunity she seldom takes for granted, and one that keeps her motivated to keep going.

As an entrepreneur who often outsources work, Lamonier is also grateful for the ability to bring jobs to her community. “I am blessed to be able to create a small ripple effect in this economy through the power of swimming,” she says. “Black People Will Swim was a lot of people’s first job—like my sister and my cousin.”

Above all, the most important thing is to not get caught up in worrying about what other people are doing, according to Lamonier, who says: “I stay in my lane, no pun intended.”

Written by Natalie Arroyo Camacho

Want to learn more about Paulana's work? Tune into this week's episode of WorkParty where she talks about the investment she made to launch the organization, her secret to an award winning pitch, and advice for founders who are seeking grant money.

Naaya Founder Sinikiwe Dhliwayo Is Ready To Implement the 4 Day Work Week

Just last week, Maryland became the first state to propose a bill that would subsidize companies that tested a four-day work week. The decision comes on the heels of the non-profit 4 Day Week Global's six-month-long experiment in Ireland, where the group tested employee productivity with 20 percent less mandatory work time and no adjustments to pay. The results were overwhelmingly positive: Companies in the program reported increased revenue and improved employee health and well-being.

Many small business owners weighed in on the results as well. Sinikiwe Dhliwayo, founder of Naaya, a company centering Black, Indigenous, and people of color in the wellness conversation, is in the process of growing her team and plans to implement the practice off the bat. When asked about her relationship with hustle culture on a recent episode of WorkParty, Dhliwayo painted a picture using her experience as an editor in the fast-paced publishing world. "Being an immigrant, my identity was really tied to what I did at work and my output," she said. But a level of care and compassion for humans was something she had never experienced with managers in the field. "Their concern was solely what I was producing, and they didn't really care about me as a person."

As a founder, she may check her email five days a week, but she doesn't expect that of her team. In fact, she believes a four-day workweek is imperative to a positive company culture. "Goals and deadlines are effectively arbitrary. We make those things up, so the work will always be there. But the care and compassion for a human person are really paramount to me," she continued. She's also implemented a no Monday or Friday meeting policy to combat Zoom fatigue and focus on deep work. "If this is a business about being well, at the end of the day, I care about the human first," says Dhliwayo.

Tune into this week's episode of WorkParty to learn more about Sinikiwe Dhliwayo's thoughts on hustle culture, the four-day work week, and how she's making the wellness industry more inclusive.


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Why Every Brand Needs a Chief Visionary Officer According to Dermalogica CVO, Jane Wurwand

Jane Wurwand is no stranger to innovation. Her experience in the salon as a young girl put her on a course to launching Dermalogica, a professional-grade skin-care company, in 1986. At the time, the industry championed a makeup-first, skincare-second approach, but under Jane's leadership as Chief Visionary Officer, Dermalogica broke the mold. It has since become known for its idea-driven culture, high-tech teaching tools, and continued sustainability improvements.

According to Wurwand, becoming the visionary of your brand is all about nurturing one essential skill: foresight. She believes a visionary must be able to assess the world and make predictions about the future of their industry. "The visionary is a little bit like a speedboat attached to an ocean liner," Wurwand explains. As the speedboat, you go out and scout the horizon, then quickly return to report back findings before jetting off again and reporting back to the ocean liner (aka the brand).

For example, on a recent episode of WorkParty, Wurwand shared that in the early days of her career, before Dermalogica launched, she noticed a growing conversation about organic farming and sustainability practices. She recalls asking herself the question, "How will [this] apply to the industry I know, and love, and work in?"

When she started Dermalogica, this careful eye for innovation became her edge. The brand launched with a rigorous "no" list for its ingredients, banning things like formaldehyde from ever being used in their products, a practice that no other skincare line was doing at the time.

Fast forward to today, and Wurwand still uses her "speedboat" skills. Now, she's prioritizing planet Earth. In 2022, Dermalogica won the PCD Innovation Award in the Premium Skincare Category for its collaboration with Aptar Beauty on a fully recyclable, mono-material lotion pump.

To learn more about how to be the visionary of your company, Jane Wurwand's role, Dermalogica's sustainability promise, and how to become an intrapreneur, tune into this week's episode of WorkParty!

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